A weird gift

One hundred seventy years passed by since the foundation of White Tiger School, three generations from the family Beifong graduated, and all of the members picked as weapons spear, scythe, and sword. Inside the small clan, they were called as the three blades.

Many families now have or had a member as a Monster Hunter, although even with the school a lot of them were killed. The same applied to the Beifongs, Li lost his great-grandfather, grandfather and now his father was injured, fortunately, he wasn't hurt in a deadly way.

Li is the fourth generation from the Beifong clan, as the previous generations he chose the Monster Hunt path, he couldn't stay locked inside the White Tiger Bunker forever, he was as brave as his father and smarter than his mother. He studied Language and Sciences until he was eighteen, and trained with the three blades since he was a child because his great-grandfather was one of the Professors, he taught the spear, the scythe, and the sword, that's why the Beifong kept learning these.

Unfortunately, a great part of the techniques was lost, but Beifong Li was able to learn everything that survived about the three blades. Was easy to him learn those because he considered the three blades some sort of treasure, so he wouldn't neglect his learning process and gave everything he got to learn it.

His father was aware of Li's dedication, he knew his son would someday be a hunter, that's why he was strict with him, he thought maybe his son would be angry with him because he was so serious about training, but with a great example of hard work at home, he couldn't be mad at his dad. Li knew that with this rigorous training style was the way his father thought that could protect him when he achieved the age.

A man with some black hair and a lot of whites wearing a black and white robe screamed for his son.

"Li, where are you?"

A young man with his eighteen years old ran to the man in question, he has a short and black hair, a trimmed beard and a slightly strong body, his skin looked like it was soft and since he wasn't outside too much, he had a white skin. The young man was 180 centimeters tall.

"Yes, father?"

"Sit son, we have to talk."

The young man got a place in front of the old man, whose was lacking his left hand. Every time he saw it he felt a little sad because he knew his father couldn't be a Monster Hunter anymore. After the young man sat the old man started to talk. The old man was the patriarch of the Beifong clan, Leylin.

"Li, you've come to the age, what are you going to do?" The man asked seriously.

"Father I've been preparing my whole life for this moment. You know how hard I've trained, I can't stay inside." The young man frowned and answered, he was really serious.

Leylin sighed and spoke.

"I guess the men from this family can't be held by the bunker." Both of them laughed while drinking.

Li knew his father pretty well, they weren't just father and son, above all, they were true friends, they could put their hands on the fire for each other because family you can't choose, but friends you can, and they chose to be both.

"Father I don't know if I can handle outside, maybe I can, maybe I cannot, but I have to try." Li said briefly.

"Well said son, although I'm pretty confident you can." Leylin said proudly.

Li looked at his father, his eyes were sparking proud, and he was smiling a lot.

Leylin grabbed a shinai¹ and placed on the table, he was serious again.

"Li, this sword is our family treasure it is in our family since your great-grandfather, he was the one who dropped it and is part of our ritual pass to the next generation when their age come. Well, my son, yours have come, this belongs to you."

The young man grabbed the shinai, and looked at it. By what he could see was a useless sword, since it was made out of some kind of wood.

His father looked at the young man and saw his expression, he laughed hard.

"Oh my son, I know EXACTLY what you are thinking, I thought the same thing when I've received it."

He made a sign with his hand meaning that the boy should hand over the sword. Li handed over and his father grabbed, his arm went to the right taking some space then in the direction of Li's neck.

Li saw the shinai coming to his neck, he opened his hand to grab it, but his father stopped the sword. "Look at it fast, I can't hold for too long."

He did what his father said and when he saw it his eyes were wide open so as his mouth.

The once shinai, now was a beautiful katana, with a slightly gray color, and seen to be sharp and its tsukagawa² was the whitest thing Li ever saw, it was so pure that would make a jade durty.

"WOW!"

"Yes, I know."

The transformation last 15 seconds, and once again, it was just a shinai, once again.

His father was sweating and tired, he knew his father wasn't weak, after all, he was over 40 years old and still alive, he then gripped the shinai proudly placed on his side and bowed to his father, while with his head down he spoke.

"Father I won't shame the clan, please be assured of this."

"I know you won't, that's why I was so strict with you, because of this sword. If you can master it, I believe you will be really strong."

"I hope so father and I know you were strict with me because you want the best for me." The Beifong boy was confident while saying it.

Hours flew like butterflies, father and son spent all the afternoon talking about everything, today Li was allowed, after all, was an important day, they even had a feast to celebrate.

Later on that day…

Li left the living room where they were celebrating, himself, his mother and his father.

He gripped the tsukagawa firmly, and slashed the air for one hour, trying to change the wooden sword, the result was different from his father, his sword stayed the same.

On the bedroom next to Li's a man and woman were talking while looking at each other, by their eyes we could see they were deeply in love, after all those years.

"He is training isn't he?"

"Yes, he is." Leylin answered proudly.

"He really is your son." The woman rolled her eyes and laughed. They both laughed.